Wall Street Institute celebrates 10th birthday in Hong Kong

Celebrating 10th Anniversary of Wall Street Institute in Hong Kong. We set the company up in 2000 and sold it at the end of 2006. Below is the video from the current 10th Anniversary promo, for a 10th Birthday Party they're holding on 27th November. It looks pretty good!
The video direct on YouTube is here.  And the link to the party invite is here.

UK Trip in August

This is all out of order, but what the heck.  I just want to put here, so I know where it is, a couple of photos of our trip to the UK in Aug/Sep and the itinerary.  There are more photos at Picasa here.

This is early morning in Snowdonia, on a walk to the top of the hill, from where we can see -- but don't climb -- Mt Snowdon

Walking from our "Hut" at Pen-y-Gwyrd, which sounds nothing like that in Welsh.  I can't even say it now, even after a lot of practice....

And this is a Basil-like creature, helping the groundkeeper at Blair Castle. 

"Over here, boss, you've missed a bit!"

This is us on September 7th, at School House, with the Housemaster, Mr Thornby and John first time in his uniform

And this one has nothing to do with the above, just that I came across it.  It's Bill Tweddell -- then the Australian Consul General in Hong Kong and an old mate of mine -- we were both in the same Foreign Affairs intake.  And that's Elmer, just about to start our new Honda mower for the first time (4/3/04).  I ought to take a photo to show what the hedge is like now.  Elmer was not too keen on the mower at the beginning, before he tried it, thinking that it would be fine to cut the lawn with hand shears or whipper-snipper.  But once he used it -- and it has power to the wheels! -- he was a convert.  It's still going strong.  

Bill went off to be Australian Ambassador to Vietnam and is now FAS in the NEAsia Division of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra.

And that's Nikkie's butt.  Looks much the same today....

The first postcard from Anne & Bub

This is actually the first postcard received from Anne & Bub, on their latest European sojourn (sent 6 Oct, received here 21 Oct...), the second one received is in the Post below.
This one's from Alhambra in Spain and seat of Islamic power (Moorish Spain) as Anne points out.

Click on the images to enlarge them.....

Postscript note for Anne: 

you don't need that long address.  All you need is:

9 Siena One

Discovery Bay

Hong Kong

Another postcard in from Anne

Here it is front and back!  Received today in Hong Kong:

Click to enlarge

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Anne!

A couple of photos for yez:

19 May 2003, Mt Ainslie Walk

Graduation 09

Marcus in full "mooching" mode.... well, it's a Vizla, really, but close enough!

Have a great day.  Still to see some post from you?!!

Yabuli Ski Resort in Northeast China, February 2010

John and Jing in Yabuli, February 2010

I've added this photo as part of process of writing up for Anne what to do to post photos and comments.  It's a rather nice one, taken in Yabuli ski resort in Heilongjiang, north-east China, over Chinese New Year this year, mid February.  The temperatures were around minus 20-27 all the time.... Snow was great, crisp and soft, but runs rather limited.

This was taken on a day we had "off" from skiing and we went for a walk to a neighbouring resort, up hill and down dale, a pretty and fun walk.

Photo again, with iPhone.
I wrote about the trip on my other blog (Battle of Tours), here.
I also took advantage of the visit to post some pro-nuclear propaganda here. (comparing the clear air we saw with the mucky air of 30 years ago).

Flowers & Butterflies

Just wanted to post a few photos of flowers round our park, and some lovely butterflies.  We don't get many "nasties" here -- flies or poisonous spiders -- just lots of tropical life, birds galore, wonderful butterflies and flowers, gorgeous dragonflies over the fishpond.  I'm sorry I don't know the names of the most of the flowers, thought Mutti probably does....  All the photos taken by my iPhone at home or in the Park

Canna Lily

A rose from our garden in the "music room"

Butterfly in "Central Park", Siena One

The "Hei Pak" butterfly (I don't know the English...)

Re-starting at the "Family Blog"

I hear today from Anne that they'd like to post some entries on this, the "family blog".  Hurrah!

That reminds me that this blog exists, and that I ought to do some update.

The first bit is copy of letter that we received from King's School in Canterbury back in February, offering John a place at Year 9, what they call "Shell" in English Public Schools (Year 10 is called "Remove").  Reason for the name "Shell"?    I could tell you, but I'm in a bit of a rush.  I assume Google would enlighten if one's interested....

Here's the letter.  We heard separately from the Registrar, Rory Reilly -- a lovely tall elegant fellow, with just a touch of Irish in the cultured voice -- that he got 100% in the maths section: praise to Jing and John for the hard prep work they put in here in Hong Kong -- finding, btw, that the maths for this test was more advanced than the maths being done here at Discovery College which is following the International Baccalaureate curriculum.

Click on the image to enlarge it

Also, BTW, John got acceptances from Abingdon Boys' School, near Oxford, and Lancing College West Sussex.  Both were lovely schools that we'd visited in November 09 as part of the research and which impressed us a lot with their academic, sporting, music and drama courses.  Much better than here in Hong Kong, we thought, and better even than Canberra Grammar, a school I'd enjoyed a lot.  Time will tell, though.  John is due back for his first half-term holiday this coming Sunday 17th October.  

Maturity Rules...

Birthday card from John:

And the inside (click to enlarge) and if only t'were true...

BTW: Thinking about "Maturity Rules" as name for the blog I set up for Class of '67 Canberra Grammarians, which is here .

A nice birthday present....

... was saving this little Japanese White-eye from the mouths of Nikkie the notorious cat-and-rat killer and Marcus, the Germanic hunting dog.  The little thing had crashed into my office window and lay on the ground outside, stunned. I rushed out just in time to pry her from Marcus' mouth.  I called Arelene to give some help.  Below some photos of the event, which had the happy end of "white-eye" flying off into our mango tree, with Marcus in full Prussian hunting mode to the end....

And now Marcus (hugged by Arlene), the brave German hunting dog from Weimar, hunts down the Japanese White-eye in our mango tree.....

Hmmm.... she seems to have got away..... (but isn't this photo just lovely!)

六十而耳順

So, it's that time of year for Jane and me.  I always take solace in the words of Confucius, re age:

三十而立

四十而不惑

五十而知天命

六十而耳順

七十而從心所欲

Explanation:
三十歲時候能夠自立，四十歲的時候不再被迷惑，五十歲的時候明白自己的本份，六十歲的時候聽到不中聽的話不會氣憤，七十歲的時候能夠心裡怎麼想就怎麼做

Ref.

(Some readers without Chinese character recognition will see these as gobblygook.   If you'd like translation, let me know:  peter@forsythe.hk)

Jane and Anna, NY Eve 09

Jane and Anna, on New Year's Eve, 2009, on the terrace of 9 Beach Road, Palm Beach.  This was a lovely place, fitted our 12 quite easily, though it could do with "some work" as our neighbour Andrew kindly suggested.  We all thought that if we owned it, we'd move the terrace out, install an infinity pool, reposition the travelator, re do the kitchen and the bedrooms; oh to hell with it, we'd be best just to tear it down and start again.  Cost?  Dunno, but Anne and I checked out the ads at the local agency and there was a tiny one beddie bungalow on the beach at Whale Beach that was asking for around 9 million.....

Is this the most boring post ever?...

.... I dunno, maybe.  Let's see how we go.  At right is photo of letter sent to the Road Traffic people to try to get out of a parking ticket we'd got in town.
The meter was broken when we tried to use it, so we rang the number on the meter and got a number to quote in case we got a ticket.  Sure enough we got a ticket.
But main reason for posting this, is that it brings to mind this: that there are heaps of things in Oz that are better than here in Hong Kong -- a lot of the shopping (Bunnings! Better Guitars!  Pirana Music!  JB Hi Fi!), the clear air, the beaches, being able to joke around in English....
But where Oz could do well to study from Hong Kong is in the public transport area and use of Octopus.  Why on earth can't they institute the contactless stored-value card and use it in all buses, trams, trains, parking lots, 7-11s, AND parking meters?? Why not??  They now have bridge toll booths with no people, but the only way visitors can pay is to log into an internet site and pay by credit card.  Come on, already!

We meet a "new" relative

Great fun, on New Year's eve, we meet for the first time (for all but Mutti) our "cousin" -- we think first cousin once removed, or second cousin, we're not sure... -- Carol Forsythe.  Here she is with Mutti, enjoying a spritzer on the balcony of No.9 Beach road, the rain having stayed away for a bit.

Mutti and Carol Forsythe

I was sorry we didn't have more time with Carole, but are hoping she'll have time to visit us in Hong Kong.  Carole has sent email and I hope she doesn't mind if I repeat it here, this being our family and friends only, blog.... Her email is carol@wentworthgalleries.com.au

Dear Peter

This is just a note to say how wonderful it was to meet you and Jing , and Anne and Ian and your lovely children , also very emotional for me after all these years...and so wonderful to have all that time with dear Margaret.I hope you had time to look at my nephew's son..Ben..the " little..est Forsythe ".  in the 2010 Calendar which I gave Margaret..I am his number one fan on the blog www.benforsythe.blogspot.com 

I had a hilarious ride back into the city , many young party goers , and a large French contingent who sang with great gusto ( in French and much clapping ) all the way to Spit Junction. Also two lovely young scottish men in kilts and T shirts ..one produced a small bottle of whisky from his sporin and told me that they would drink it at midnight.Sydney is an absolute League of Nations these days. 

I do hope you enjoy your bridge climb today..such fun to do it as a family. 

This is also to wish you every success and happiness in the New Year 2010 and I do hope that we may all meet again. 

sincere best wishes

 Carol  

Postscript:  And yes, we did indeed enjoy the Bridge Climb on New Year's Day 2010.  Wonderful tour, wonderful view, and we were lucky with the weather: cool with no rain.

Boat trip on Pittwater

Rented a flat-bottomed outboard, and went round the Pittwater again on the 30th December:

Jing steering, helped out by John...

Anna, Jane and Mem, slip-slop-slapping

Ferry to the Basin

29th December, took the cute little ferry across the Pittwater, to The Basin, thence to Currawong beach and lovely little walk across the headland to Mackerel beach, to catch the hourly ferry back to Palm Beach wharf.

John, Josh, Anna, Jane, Alex, Jing

John and Jing at Currawong beach, Pittwater, 29th Dec 09

The Master and the Student

John and Bub gave us a concert on Christmas eve, here playing at 9 Beach Road, Palm Beach, Bub on his acoustic, John looking on.  Taken with iPhone, so only available light....

Anna and Mem

Here they are the two graduates: one graduate one post-grad: Anna with her Master of Molecular Genetic Analysis, seen here with Mutti, in a lovely photo...  Both did brilliantly, Anna with 3HDs and one D.  Though she says she doesn't know what the "molecular" means.  Hmmm...
Anna and Mem's page from the graduation booklet below, click on to enlarge:

Re-starting

Better get this blog going again, the last post being late-ish last year.  Have some items to post especially some photos from our Christmas at Palm Beach and Anna & Meredith's graduation.